LightMeter Express vs Cavo Camera
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LightMeter Express
This tool transforms your iPhone into a professional light meter for photography. It offers accurate exposure readings with real-time calculations for aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, supporting various camera settings and providing exposure compensation.
- Real-time light metering
- Precise exposure calculations
- Support for standard camera settings
- Exposure value (EV) display
- Spot metering (Pro feature)
- Live histogram (Pro feature)
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LightMeter Express - Professional Camera Tool Transform your iPhone into a precision light meter for film and digital photography. Get accurate exposure readings with an intuitive interface designed for photographers who demand professional-grade metering capabilities. CORE FEATURES (FREE): • Real-time light metering using your device's camera • Precise aperture, shutter speed, and ISO calculations • Support for all standard camera settings • Clean, professional interface optimized for quick readings • Exposure value (EV) display with compensation controls • Camera settings reference for popular film and digital cameras • Works in any lighting condition your camera can see • Intuitive haptic feedback with "full-stop" detents for exposure drag gestures PERFECT FOR: • Film photographers seeking accurate meter readings • Digital photographers wanting precise exposure control • Studio and outdoor photography • Learning proper exposure techniques • Backup metering when your camera's meter fails PRO FEATURES (One-time $0.99 purchase): • **Spot Metering** - Professional spot metering with zoomed preview for precise exposure readings from specific areas of your scene. Drag to reposition, tap to meter. Works best on iPhones with telephoto lenses for maximum precision • Custom Step Increments - Choose between 1/3, 1/2, or full stop increments for all exposure parameters to match your camera and shooting style • Live Histogram - Real-time histogram display with RGB channel analysis for precise exposure evaluation and highlight/shadow monitoring • Preview Compensation - See exposure compensation effects directly in the camera preview to visualize over/under exposure before shooting • Custom Limits - Set personalized aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation limits to match your specific camera gear and preferences • Black & White Preview - Turn the camera preview into a grayscale image for helping with B&W photography The free version provides full light metering functionality suitable for most photography needs. Pro features add advanced customization and analysis tools for professional and enthusiast photographers. TECHNICAL NOTES: • Requires camera access to function as a light meter • All processing happens locally on your device • No internet connection required • Compatible with iPhone • Spot metering optimized for devices with multiple camera lenses PRIVACY: Light Meter respects your privacy. Camera data is processed locally and never stored or transmitted. No personal information is collected.
Cavo Camera
This app transforms your iPhone into a professional cinema camera, offering advanced manual controls for exposure, focus, and color. It allows for flexible recording formats and custom color grading, ensuring your creative vision is preserved.
- Advanced manual exposure controls
- Customizable frame rates and shutter angles
- Support for ProRes and Apple Log formats
- Import and preview .cube LUTs
- Flexible recording destinations
- No ads or analytics
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Your iPhone. Your cinema camera. Choose the motion you want. Cavo handles exposure, gives you manual control when you need it, and lets you preview your look without changing the recording. Smarter auto Set your frame rate and shutter angle. Shutter-priority auto adjusts exposure around those settings. On compatible cameras, Aperture Priority holds your chosen aperture while Cavo adjusts exposure. Keep exposure and white balance adjusting as you shoot, or lock them when recording starts. Manual when you want it Control ISO, shutter, focus, and white balance from the viewfinder, with manual aperture control on compatible cameras. Check audio levels, available recording time, grid, and horizon level without leaving the camera. Choose shutter angles from 30° to 360°, or use supported longer exposures for more motion blur at a lower recording frame rate. Pick your format Record in H.264, HEVC, or supported ProRes formats. Choose Apple Log, Apple Log 2, HDR, and real open gate when your iPhone and active camera format support them. Recordings are QuickTime MOV files. Microphone access is optional. Cavo records silent video when access is off. See your look. Keep your master. Import .cube LUTs to preview color while you shoot. Monitoring leaves the recorded master unchanged. When you're ready, Quick Grade creates a separate graded HEVC Rec. 709 MOV export and preserves your original. Save where you choose Record to Photos, App Files, a folder you select, or compatible external storage. Optionally save the recording location with your videos. Quick Grade preserves location tags in graded copies, too. Your camera. Your recordings. No account, ads, or analytics. Your recordings stay in the destination you choose. Requires iOS 17 or later. Available codecs, color modes, resolutions, frame rates, lenses, stabilization, and external recording depend on your iPhone, iOS version, and connected hardware. Apple Log 2 and dynamic 4:3 capture require iOS 26 and compatible hardware. Manual aperture control and Aperture Priority require iOS 27 or later and compatible cameras.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cavo Camera at none against LightMeter Express's 1. LightMeter Express's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 5 days) and ratings volume (8 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. LightMeter Express sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Cavo Camera asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for LightMeter Express against 5.0 for Cavo Camera. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LightMeter Express has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
LightMeter Express ships an update daily, Cavo Camera every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LightMeter Express | Cavo Camera |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Digitaino LLC | Sam Jandris |
Customer experience
LightMeter Express
Cavo Camera
In-app purchases
LightMeter Express
- Light Meter Pro$2.99
Cavo Camera
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is LightMeter Express free?
Is Cavo Camera free?
Which has better reviews, LightMeter Express or Cavo Camera?
Do LightMeter Express or Cavo Camera have ads?
Which is updated more often, LightMeter Express or Cavo Camera?
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